Job Search

During your Job Search, are you Kissing with Confidence?

Honestly, I doubt it. Hence, much like eating raw garlic and fresh pickled onions before kissing the person of your dreams, it is presently leaving a lasting impression that lets down your Job Application with your future employer, and hence your chance of getting a job?

Now, you are probably saying:

Come on Ian, you don’t actually mean kissing my future employer?

I did that with the last one, and look where it got me!

No, I am not actually saying kiss your future employer physically – it could be illegal, and it is certainly inappropriate. What I am saying is, what impression does your first impression – kiss – leave with your future employer?

First Impressions count

There are many at the moment saying the Social Media is either the way to find a job or find hidden talent. If you want to know more, then I suggest reading Shally Steckerl‘s writings on employers finding hidden talent; or Jason Alba and Dan Schwabel on a job search using Social Media.

However, one thing the job search people seem to miss is a vital ingredient – consistency of information. Kissing with Confidence is about your personal profile on Google, and what Google shows up about you. When internet guru Seth Godin is writing about how Google effects your employment prospects, let us help you.

Personal Profile

There are two parts to Social Media job searching:

• Being found
• What the found media says about you – known as your Google CV

I have since being a recruiter always said that recruitment is most akin to being a dating service. In the first part its about basic statistics (functional fit), and in the second part its about chemistry.

I don’t know one recruiter who can get the second part consistently 100% right. The best statistics I have seen are a 66% placement success. Therefore even the top Executive Search firms will send in at least three candidates they consider could be suitable, and have a variation in both personal and business approach.

However, for all job applicants, the starting point is the Professional CV. Lets assume you make it past the CV sifting stage, and either the HR professional is preparing for the possibility of an interview, or a recruiter is preparing to call you to see if what is written in the Cover Letter and on the CV is what he/she finds on the telephone in conversation?

Do you you think they just accept the CV as their only source of information? No. So what do they do next? Right, they search your name on Google.

I wrote about the case of Neville Keithley, which was about not being found. If you are found, you want the information shown to provide a consistent personal profile.

Yes, we expect to find additional information, for instance: your hobbies and interests; your family and friends; and may be some more job history which is older than five years.

But much like a first date with a member of the opposite sex, if we find inconsistent information, we get scared. Honestly, to many: inconsistent information is as much akin to suddenly finding out your date is an axe murderer! Therefore, much like any first date experience, your future employer will walk away.

An inconsistent personal profile is a job application killer!

So, if you want to start Kissing with Confidence with your future employer, please – clean up your online profile before you apply for any jobs.

Keep Kissing with Confidence – and Good Luck!

If you need an interview winning solution, sign-up for our Professional CV service

Visual CV

photo credit: Valentin.Ottone

David asks: Will CV’s and resumes be obsolete in 5 years? I don’t have a CV, and I will never have one again. 99% of my business comes via business connections and referrals, or via networks. Anyone who wants my history can look it up online via a simple Google search. There are now numerous executive listing sites that actively solicit you to create a profile/bio similar to LinkedIn. I have had recruiters call me after seeing my profile on LinkedIn, only to then ask me for a CV. I don’t have one, but that’s probably because I am not actively in the job hunters market. I can see the value of a well crafted CV for job seekers. But down the road, will we still be using and requiring CV/resumes? Is a profile on LinkedIn the modern version of yesterday’s resume? Is it efficient to still print a piece of paper and mail it to someone?

In answer:
No, they won’t be. I have thought about this a great deal before publicising CV4.biz Professional CV Writing business, but as a recruiter the answer is no.

A CV/resume is a fact based focused sales document – no more, and no less. Whether its paper based or electronic makes no difference, it is still a fact based focused sales document.

Hence, is a LinkedIn profile or a VisualCV a CV/resume? No, as most give their “full from school to present” employment history. If you are applying for a job, almost everything which is older than five years is irrelevant as far as an HR Professional is concerned: a CV/resume wouldn’t include it, an online profile would as part of its purpose is networking.

Personal Profile

What these various online tools do allow is better background checking of applicants, or for sales people easier finding of key decision makers. One downside of all these tools is personal brand consistency, but they are not CV/resumes.

I therefore suggest that your question is probably headline loaded, where as the real issue you are seeing is that of personal profile – a now constant issue for all business people, let alone job applicants.

The form may change going forward, much as the letter is now replaced or supplemented by the eMail; but the CV/resume is here to stay.

Good Luck!

If you need an interview winning solution, sign-up for our Professional CV service

Jobs Online

photo credit: Andrew Feinberg

Jobs Board are great! Every morning, they send you a list of jobs, and having already uploaded your CV, you simply click to apply. If you can get yourself in front of a PC by 09:05, you can have applied for 20 Jobs Online by 09:10, and be doing what you want to do by 09:15. Aren’t Job Boards great!

Can I give you a Recruiters insight? By around 10:30, most research assistants will have done their initial work, and be working their way through the Job Applicants who have come in that day – including your CV from the Jobs Board. By 10:31, they will be looking at the next application.

What went wrong? I thought we agreed that Job Boards were great? I mean, the fact that you don’t get any interviews should be telling your something, shouldn’t it?

Jobs Board

The problem with the click to apply mentality of the Job Board, is that it is quick, easy and convenient for all parties:

• It is quick, easy and convenient for you to apply
• It is quick, easy and convenient for employers to reject you

The job board application system makes it easy for you to use the same CV for every job application, but in doing so you don’t tell that employer specifically why they should pick up the phone and talk to you. Your generic CV is your CV based around you – what an employer wants to hear is why you are right for them

Job Application

How much customisation do you need to undertake per application to make the right impression? The difference will tell you why you were rejected. For instance:

• Have you read the job advert at least three times, and noted down the top three/five skills they seek?
• Have you then found those skills in your CV, written – ideally – in that word form?
• Have you found and read their website, and their annual report?
• Have you found how many of their employees in that department are on LinkedIn?

After that, the type of person they seek and hence the amount of customisation required to your CV should be clear. At minimum for each job application you should be writing a fresh Cover Letter and rewriting your Personal Profile

Making an employer know why they should call you will get you more interviews.

Good Luck!

If you need an interview winning solution, sign-up for our Professional CV service

CV Objective

This is part of our series on How To Write A CV

There are differing professional and personal opinions on the value or need for a career objective, which is included after your personal (contact) details on your CV/resume.

Some say it is irrelevant information, in that it is emotional focus mixed with fact. Others say that it gives up front the reader the view of why you think you would suit this job – ideally as part of your whole career plan.

Generally this is not needed when applying directly to an employer and including a Cover Letter. However, the inclusion of a career objective is popular in some sectors such as Public Relations, Sales and Marketing.

However, the most important gain in including a career objective and the reason for its return to popularity is that it engages the reader, and then focuses them on your skills and motivation.

A CV objective statement works very well in a skills-based CV, often used by people wanting to change direction and seeking to provide evidence in support of a range of relevant skills. You may also want to include a profile when attending a jobs fair and meeting a number of employers.

Personal profiles are easier to write well once you have a period of relevant work experience. They should be punchy, relevant and no more than six sentences long. They should always be tailored to the job or type of role you are applying for. If as you should, you are customising your CV/resume to a particular job application, here is one of the areas to create a bespoke application.

CV Objectives Examples

A good structure for a personal profile, career objective or mission statement is to use a three part form:

• I am (sector)/am educated (level)
• I currently do and achieve
• I see my career going in this direction

The first two parts are based on facts drawn from existing skills (ie – function); you should then align your second part and wholly the third part on the job you are applying for.

Hence, when people ask “do I need to completely re-write my CV for every application;” the answer is simply to re-write your Cover Letter and your personal profile at minimum to focus your application.

In evidence of this approach, I noticed that Amybeth Hale – aka the Research Goddess – who is now working for Chris Hoyt’s team at AT&T, noted this on a recent Twitter comment:

I’m personally a bigger fan of a well-worded, concise mission statement talking about the career goals of the applicant and how my job fits them

Says it all really – Good Luck!

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If you need an interview winning solution, sign-up for our Professional CV service

If you want to check the suitability of your existing CV, then get a FREE CV review

===================================================================

CV Personal Statement

This is part of our series on How To Write A CV

Rebecca asks: I am updating my cv and wrote this to get started with. I am not sure weather it sounds to clinical and not unique enough! also does any one know if the personal statement should come at the start or end of the cv?

“An employer would find me reliable and responsible as well as being extremely flexible and co-operative. I am eager and willing to expand my skills and try out new challenges that may come my way. I am a bubbly and bright person who works well in a team and solely. I also believe I have enough experience and life skills to excel at any challenge thrown my way”

In answer:

It is interesting, expressive and energetic – but it doesn’t say much to get an employer to pick up the phone and call you.

Why? Because there is no evidence to back up the claims. For instance, what makes you and where is the evidence for:

• reliable
• responsible
• extremely flexible and co-operative – makes it sound like a sexual offer!
• eager and willing to expand my skills and try out new challenges that may come my way – in what way, in what markets? Do these align with the employers requirements?
  
• I am a bubbly and bright person – honestly, every applicant would claim this. It doesn’t make you stand out from the crowd
• who works well in a team and solely – so you can work in all circumstances. In which do you prefer?
• I also believe I have enough experience and life skills to excel at any challenge thrown my way – OK, we have a need for a new heart surgeon!

CV Personal Statement examples

Personal statements appear one the first page of a CV, and this one is nice but lacking traction. A good structure for a personal profile/career objective is to use a three part form with evidence of the enclosed claims:

• I am (sector)/am educated (level)
• I currently do and achieve
• I see my career going in this direction

The first two parts are based on facts drawn from function; you should then align your second part and wholly the third part on the job you are applying for.

Have a read of our article on How to write a Personal Statement which is part of our series on How To Write A CV.

If you want a review of it once you have re-written it, send it through for a FREE CV Review

Good Luck!

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If you need an interview winning solution, sign-up for our Professional CV service

If you want to check the suitability of your existing CV, then get a FREE CV review

===================================================================

Personal Profile, Career Objective, Mission Statement

This is part of our series on How To Write A CV

There are differing professional and personal opinions on the value or need for a personal profile, career objective or mission statement, which is included after your personal (contact) details on your CV/resume.

Some say it is irrelevant information, in that it is emotional focus mixed with fact. Others say that it gives up front the reader the view of why you think you would suit this job – ideally as part of your whole career plan.

Generally this is not needed when applying directly to an employer and including a Cover Letter.  However, the inclusion of a personal profile, career objective or mission statement is popular in some sectors such as Public Relations, Sales and Marketing.

However, the most important gain in including a personal profile, career objective or mission statement and the reason for its return to popularity is that it engages the reader, and then focuses them on your skills and motivation.

A personal profile/career objective/mission statement works very well in a skills-based CV, often used by people wanting to change direction and seeking to provide evidence in support of a range of relevant skills. You may also want to include a profile when attending a jobs fair and meeting a number of employers.

Personal profiles are easier to write well once you have a period of relevant work experience. They should be punchy, relevant and no more than six sentences long. They should always be tailored to the job or type of role you are applying for. If as you should, you are customising your CV/resume to a particular job application, here is one of the areas to create a bespoke application.

A good structure for a personal profile, career objective or mission statement is to use a three part form:

• I am (sector)/am educated (level)
• I currently do and achieve
• I see my career going in this direction

The first two parts are based on facts drawn from existing skills (ie – function); you should then align your second part and wholly the third part on the job you are applying for.

Hence, when people ask “do I need to completely re-write my CV for every application;” the answer is simply to re-write your Cover Letter and your personal profile at minimum to focus your application.

In evidence of this approach, I noticed that Amybeth Hale – aka the Research Goddess – who is now working for Chris Hoyt’s team at AT&T, noted this on a recent Twitter comment:

I’m personally a bigger fan of a well-worded, concise mission statement talking about the career goals of the applicant and how my job fits them

Says it all really – Good Luck!

===================================================================

If you need an interview winning solution, sign-up for our Professional CV service

If you want to check the suitability of your existing CV, then get a FREE CV review

===================================================================

CV Tips

photo credit: rachie lea

These CV Tips are provided as a quick set of notes on best practice in the current CV and Jobs market place.

• A CV, short in British language for Curriculum Vitae is a personal marketing and sales document for getting you an interview for a desired job. In American culture, it is the same as a Resume
• A Curriculum Vitae is the reference used globally for an academic or medical version of a CV, which contains full details of training an research projects
• A CV does not get you the job – its purpose is to get the recruiter or potential employer to pick up the telephone and talk to you, and then get you an interview
• A CV should be a well-written concise document that is ideally no longer than two-pages
• Keep your CV honest and factual never ever lie on your CV!
• Sell yourself and be positive. Do mention things you are good at, but do not go over the top – you can oversell yourself
• Include a personal profile of three to four lines that sums up your key experience, skills, achievements and motivations. Ensure that a little of your personality is also conveyed
• Employers are interested in how you can solve their problems! Work experience should therefore focus on your achievements and accomplishments, and should highlight the benefits that your work has had for an organisation. These should be backed up by facts and figures if possibl
• Make sure that the CV you write conjures up the right image of you and your skills, capabilities and achievements. If you do not match the picture you have painted with your CV at the interview, then your application will not be taken further
• If you are not happy with your CV or you only seem to get rejection letters then please get a professional CV writing service to write it for you. Yes, you will have to pay for it, but it will save you a lot of time, lead to you getting less rejection letters and hopefully you should get a job that much quicker

Writing Style:

• You should select a format of CV which is most suited to you and your background.
• These days you can write your CV in the first person (i.e. I have) or the third person (i.e. he/she has). However, you do not need to use ‘I’, ‘he’ or ‘she’ in a CV because its use is implied.
• A CV should be well presented and laid out, with lots of white space. Avoid complex formatting, shading, boxes and stylised fonts.
• Avoid using long paragraphs and sentences
• Information must be in reverse chronological order (most recent first)
• No misspellings or grammatical errors
• Be careful when you use abbreviations – they can be misunderstood.
• If you are not happy with your CV or you only seem to get rejection letters then please get a professional CV writing service to write it for you. Yes, you will have to pay for it. But, it could save you a lot of time, lead to you getting less rejection letters and hopefully you should get an interview that much quicker

Avoid including unnecessary information such as:

• Titles and headings – it should be obvious as to what document this is
• Reason for leaving – this will be covered in the interview
• Salary details – this can knock you out of contention before you have started
• Photographs – unless it is applicable to the type of work you are involved in e.g. media or modelling
• Weaknesses – never tell readers what you do not have or what you have not had the opportunity to do yet.
• Jargon – ensure your Curriculum Vitae is reader friendly to as many people as possible.
• References – you can state that they are available on request, but it is inappropriate and unprofessional to include them in your CV
• Marital Status, Religion, Nationality, Children etc. – this has no bearing on your ability to do the job.

If you need an interview winning solution, signup for our Professional CV service